Why most Black Americans say they never fly the American flag, according to a new AP-NORC poll

[dalton99a]

https://apnews.com/article/poll-american-flag-patriotism-black-b66ff2a116643523eab6c670cc94a95d

Why most Black Americans say they never fly the American flag, according to a new AP-NORC poll
By COREY WILLIAMS, LINLEY SANDERS and SIMRAN PARWANI
Updated 7:40 AM CDT, June 30, 2026

DETROIT (AP) — Jerry Esters proudly displays the American flag each day on his Detroit home. A few miles away, Yvonne Pistochini says there is no scenario under which she would allow the Stars and Stripes to cast its shadow where she lives.

Both are Black.

For Esters, the flag represents the opportunities that allowed the great-great-grandson of slaves to find success and flourish. Pistochini, 79, simply says the America identified by the flag is not the same country she saw growing up.

Americans’ views of “Old Glory” are divided by politics, age and race, according to a new survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday celebration.

Republicans and older, white adults are especially likely to say they fly the American flag, while younger Democrats and Black adults are more likely to say they don’t fly it. Views of the flag — and whether it’s a unifying or divisive symbol — track with other deep divisions among Americans, who see their country’s history and accomplishments very differently.





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(Stanley Forman/Boston Herald American)

[hlthe2b]

1. Well, an upside down mini flag with a "No Kings" sign seems appropriate...

I have them inserted in my two blue planters with red and blue flowers, in the boxwood wreath on the door and the side planter with white flowers. I consider that an APPROPRIATE commemorative (not celebratory) display.

[Torchlight]

5. Or simply more politically performative.

"Men seem to be more patriotic"

Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

3. It's a popular piece of cloth with the racists in my area. Probably due to the "WHITE" stripes.

Red blooded, white skinned blue bloods. Red, white and blue is racist! And what are the colors of Trump's costume???

[Ocelot II]

4. For some people the flag is a perverse symbol of white nationalist identity.

The best illustration of this that I've ever seen was a big US flag flying from one corner of the bed of a big ol' pickup, and a Confederate flag of equal size on the other. I wished I had some way of saying to the driver, "Dude, you really don't get it, do you?"

[Aristus]

6. The main reasons why I, a Gulf War veteran, and a 3rd generation war veteran, do not fly the American flag,

is because I don't want my neighbors thinking I'm a Trumpster.

[Sympthsical]

7. I'd be interested to see an age breakdown

Because it seems like flag flying in general is an older person thing.

As an old Millennial, flags just aren't a thing that exist in my world. Can't think of a single friend who bothers. I have one friend who has a pride flag draped along the railing of his patio, and that's about it.

Hell, the only flag pole in my entire neighborhood is an American and Marine flag, but the guy is a 50 year old ex-marine (who is a decent sort). A real estate person puts little flags at the end of everyone's lawn every July 4th with their card attached as advertising. It is the strangest thing. Whenever we see it, it's like aliens have landed. "Oh right, American flags are a thing."

Growing up in the burbs in the 80s and 90s, people did used to put them up for things like Memorial Day and July 4th. But it feels like that tradition has been dying out over the past 20 years. Or maybe my anecdotal is different because I moved from the Midwest to California.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. I stopped flying the American flag the day Dubya entered Iraq. Left it in my closet of the house I sold in 2020.

Will never own one agin.

[Raftergirl]

9. Never have flown the flag and I'm almost 70. Neither did my parents.

Very few flags in my town of 40k on peoples homes.

When we drove from Austin to San Antonio once I was shocked to see the Texas State flag effing everywhere. It was so cringe. Except for government buildings no one in NY flies the NYS flag.

[dalton99a]

11. +1. They basically stole it from Chile

[Journeyman]

12. Remember . . .

that lone star is its Yelp rating.

[electric_blue68]

14. 😄 ouch! But there -are- 4 star Liberals in TX!

[QueerDuck]

10. We display a 3x5' American flag along with a 3x5' Rainbow flag...

... on standard house-mounted brackets and poles. However with our American flag we also have a 4" x 60" black ribbon/banner attached at the top link. This is normally used to indicate "half-staff" on flags that cannot be physically lowered to a literal half-staff position.

I put it on our flag the day that Jimmy Carter died... and there it will remain until Trump dies.


(not our flag... just an example photo)

[Melon]

13. I fly the US flag and consider myself a patriot.

[Kid Berwyn]

15. Seeing how fast Civil Rights evaporated under Trump

I can’t blame anyone for not flying the flag, especially African Americans.

[Bettie]

16. The flag has largely been taken

as a MAGAt symbol.

Tattered flags blowing behind big ass trucks are a good clue that you are dealing with a moron behind the wheel, it's helpful to be able to identify idiots with anger issues and maga hats from a distance.

But I learned the flag code in school and it makes me a little annoyed to see that.

ETA: SO, yeah, I get why a lot of people don't fly it, particularly people who are Black (or any kind of not-white). It's a symbol of division these days.

[maxsolomon]

17. I can't bring myself to fly a flag since 2016.

Probably never will again.

I'd even installed a flag mount on the house when Obama was elected.